Otto,
I have a friend that just got an estimate on building a 3-5 acre pond for $30,ooo. He came and looked at mine and asked me what I thought about him doing the same. Buy a new 75 hp skid loader for $30,000, build the pond, and keep the loader. I told him definetly not.
This is what I did. But I bought a dozer for $25,000 and spent two years digging and fixing the dozer to dig mine. While I could justify the expense of the machinery since I'm using it for other things on my land, and will sell it when I'm done, I couldn't justify the expense to hire it out. I honestly don't know if I would do it again as it was allot more work and headache then I ever imagined. In the end, it was worth it, but there was more then one time when I wished it was over with and I had never started it.
It's an interesting situation on whether to recommend buying the equipment and building it yourself, or in hiring it out. Both have there pros and cons. I honestly don't know which way I'd go on this without knowing the person really well. If they are the type to finish what they start, fix what breaks and overcome obstacles, then doing it yourself is probably the most satisfying way to go. If there is a good contractor with a proven history of getting it done on budget, and who doesn't disappear when there is a problem, then hiring it out is the way to go. Either way, it's expensive and time consuming.
Eddie
